Comedy directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have been tapped to direct the space adventure, with Alden Ehrenreich stepping in to Harrison Ford's theoretical shoes to play the titular smuggler. He will be surrounded by Solo's favorite furball Chewbacca, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian, Emilia Clarke in an unknown role, and potentially Woody Harrelson as Solo's mentor. However, a new report points to the creative team looking towards Christian Bale for the same role.

The news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit, who tweeted the news following the report breaking that Harrelson is the favorite to land the gig. Take a look:

True that Disney & Lucasfilm wanted someone big for HAN SOLO...before Woody Harrelson, CHRISTIAN BALE was the other big name in the mix.

There is no denying the acting ability that Harrelson will bring to Han Solo (should his deal close), but the possibility of Bale joining the Star Wars universe is surely something that many are hoping for. The former Batman star is one of the most talented actors working today and has since turned to roles that put him in position for Oscar consideration rather than joining blockbuster franchises.

While this type of movie is not something that Bale has every truly chased, it goes to show that no one is outside the mind of the studio as they look to find future actors to join. For instance, Michael Fassbender recently said he was considered for a role in The Force Awakens, so Bale or him could be actors to keep in mind as the studios look to fill out the cast of Episode IX or any of the future unannounced movies.

There may be some fans who are disappointed that Bale is not the favorite, but those outside of the internal meetings for this film have no idea what type of mentor role is envisioned for the Han Solo film. Even though signs are pointing towards Harrelson getting the part, it is important to remember that it has not yet been officially confirmed, with even the reports saying they are in early talks. After all, they could very well fall apart, putting Bale once again in contention for the role.